Define Your Term | Login
What is code-mixing? | Mission | About | Learn More | Downloads | Lecture Slides | Instagram Instagram
English | Chinese

Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


10 random words out of 681 results

Key

Definition: A code-mixing term that is often used with “啱key”, which refers to whether you get along well with somebody. Explanation: like the key in a piece of music. Usage: Eg. 你同你朋友啱唔啱key呀?Reference: https://shyyp.net/hant/phrase/啱key

upload

Definition: A code-mixing term that Hong Kongers often use to refer to uploading files to the internet. ('上載') Usage: E.g. 快D幫我upload張相去IG啦!Synonym: 上載

ma ma dei

Definition: A romanised code-mixing term that is used to describe something, a person, or state as being so-so, or just okay in quality. Usage: E.g. A: How was the event? B: Ma ma dei la. E.g. A: How are you today? B: Ma ma dei la. E.g. A: What do you think of this shirt? B: I think it's ma ma dei.Synonym: 麻麻地Reference: https://www.localiiz.com/post/culture-local-stories-guide-hong-kong-descriptive-slang-phrases

dismiss

Definition: A code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers when they want to send somebody away formally and politely, even though at times they may not be taking the other person seriously. Usage: E.g. *打斷* 我地傾左咁耐,不如就喺到dismiss啦? (*interrupt* We have been talking for so long. What about dismiss here?)Synonym: 解散Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/2842244/page/13

check

Definition: A word that seems to have originated from a Chinese emperor, due to it being mistakenly aired from a TVB episode. Usage: 同朕check吓!(By TVB actor 陳豪)Reference: https://holiday.presslogic.com/article/224449/港式-廣東話-中英夾雜-口語-香港人-搭lift-食lunch

milestone

Definition: A code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers to refer to an important stage or event in the development of something. (里程碑) Usage: E.g. 我地公司今年reach到個milestone!Let\'s celebrate!Synonym: 里程碑Reference: https://www.story001.com/post-196.html

yo!

Definition: A code-mixing term that the Hong Kong actor Dicky Cheung (張衛健) loves to use in the "Journey of the West" Cantonese TV episode, in order to display the almighty character of Sun Wukong, the Monkey King. Usage: E.g. Yo!打妖精咋麻,洗乜驚呀?!Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jtl4WF0RwWI&t=224s

fly an airplane

Definition: Known as Kongish, this is a code-mixing phrase used by native Hong Kongers to describe someone who fails to show up in an event. Also, used as 'to fly somebody an airplane'. Usage: E.g. We all agreed to go shopping this weekend. Please don't fly airplane! (放飛機) E.g. I know you are busy, but don't fly me an airplane again! (放我飛機)Synonym: 放飛機

skiiing / snowboarding

Definition: A pair of code-mixing terms that native Hong Kongers like to use to refer to the sport of gliding over snow because it is simply way too tiring having to tell the other person which one you are talking about if you just say ‘滑雪‘ in Cantonese, which has a literal meaning of 'glide snow'. Usage: E.g. 我好鍾意滑雪。B:不過請問係skiing定係snowboarding? (A: I really like gliding snow. B: But do you mean skiing or snowboarding?)Synonym: 滑雪Reference: https://www.baby-kingdom.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=12744670

tgt

Definition: (textspeak) A Kongish code-mixing term that refers to 'together' in English. Usage: E.g. Nei zi chin mai wah seung do new pt, my frd arm arm told me kui find gun ppl, go tgt oj ng oj? (你之前咪話想做新Part Time,我朋友同我講佢搵緊人,一齊去好唔好?)Synonym: togetherReference: https://www.hk01.com/開罐/283411/大學生打字用火星文-10句港式英文拼音大挑戰-測試你識幾多